Stendhal syndrome or Stendhal's syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and even hallucinations when the individual is exposed to an overdose of beautiful art, paintings and artistic masterpieces.

It is named after the famous 19th century French author Stendhal (pseudonym of Marie-Henri Beyle), who gave a an early detailed description of experiencing the phenomenon his 1817 visit to Florence, Italy which he published in his book Naples and Florence: A Journey from Milan to Reggio.

Although there are many descriptions of people becoming dizzy and fainting while taking in the art in Florence, especially at the Uffizi, from the early 19th century on, this was not described as a specific syndrome until 1979, when it was written up by Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini, who observed and described more than 100 similar cases among tourists and visitors in Florence, the cradle of Renaissance.

There is also a horror film called The Stendhal Syndrome (penned and directed by Dario Argento) in which a policewoman suffering from Stendhal syndrome is trapped by a serial killer in a museum.

See also:

• Motif of harmful sensation

External links

• Internet Movie Database: La Sindrome di Stendhal
• Auxologia: Graziella Magherini: La Sindrome di Stendhal (book)(excerpts in Italian)